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The 2011 AAA Photo Contest is a showcase of anthropology at its best. Of the 93 photos submitted, AAA members selected their favorites in each of the four categories: Practice, People, Place and Process. You can view the top 20 photos in Anthropology News. Here on the AAA blog, we will feature several of the photos in a blog series, Photo Friday.

Title: Vaitahu Rainbow and Volleyball
Photo Courtesy of Wendy Leicht
Contest Category: Place
Caption: This photo captures residents of Vaitahu, on the island of Tahuata, resuming their volleyball game after a mid-afternoon shower. The community engages in sports, like volleyball and soccer, in an effort to both have fun and stay fit. While an overwhelming number of post-colonial island communities in the Pacific suffer from major weight problems, the community of Vaitahu promotes physical activity, like volleyball, in an effort to prevent the emergence of serious health issues, especially among the youth population. Aside from the game, the major focal point in the photograph is the Catholic Church, an institution built by the French and attended by most locals on Sunday mornings.